Randi Rhodes Blames Air America's New Owners On Larry King: "This Is Really About Them Wanting To Change My Contract"

Update: Randi Rhodes went on Larry King Live and contradicted earlier statements regarding the manner in which her relationship was terminated with Air America. Rhodes said that Air America had new owners and that "this thing is really about them wanting to change my contract." According to Rhodes, when the new owners discovered "they didn't have the right to fire [her]" they used parts of her stand-up routine as a means to get her to leave Air America.

[WATCH]

The Huffington Post has learned that Richard Belzer will fill in during Randi Rhodes' time slot next week. Read more here.

Update: The Huffington Post has learned that Randi Rhodes quit Air America after being asked by the network to apologize for her inflammatory remarks against Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro.

A source at Air America, who asked to remain anonymous, said, "Many people screw up and then apologize and move on. Like Imus. Like David Shuster. Like Jay Rockefeller on McCain. Like Obama on Rezko. Like Hillary on Bosnia. Randi Rhodes refused to apologize for her obscene comments and has chosen instead to terminate her relationship with Air America."

The source also said that there is no love lost between Rhodes and her colleagues at the network. "No one is upset. She made the move but there's relief and joy."

Dismissing claims that Rhodes was just doing stand-up comedy in San Francisco when she made the remarks, the source confirmed that Air America paid her way to California, that she was advertised as "Air America's Randi Rhodes," and that the Air America website urged people to go for "an evening of politics and pop culture." The source said, "Air America pays people to be talk show hosts, not stand-up comics, or else we'd hire Chris Rock."

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It remains unclear who will substitute for Rhodes' time slot in both the short- and long-term, but the source said the network is looking at Rhodes' departure as an opportunity to rebuild. "Sometimes it's for the best that the leading player leaves so you can rebuild with better talent."

Original Post: Randi Rhodes has quit Air America Radio just a week after being suspended for calling both Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro a "fucking whore" in a public appearance (seen here). The station has condemned her lanaguage, but she herself has not come out publicly to retract her statements. Now a statement from Air America reveals that she has walked away from the station.

Charlie Kireker, Chair, and Mark Green, President, for Air America Media released the following statement:

Last week Air America suspended Randi Rhodes for abusive, obscene language at a recent public appearance in San Francisco which was sponsored by an Air America affiliate station.

Air America Media was informed last night by Ms. Rhodes that she has chosen to terminate her employment with the company. We wish her well and thank her for past services to Air America.

Reports surfaced yesterday that Rhodes was leaving the network, possibly to join KKGN/San Francisco. From a report on RadioAndRecords.com:

According to John Scott, PD of Clear Channel talk KKGN/San Francisco, suspended talker Randi Rhodes and Air America network have parted company as of Wednesday (April 9). In a posting on the station Web site Scott says that on Monday (April 14), "it will be our pleasure to announce the return of Randi Rhodes to the Green 960 family."

Update: Nova M Radio has announced that Randi Rhodes will be joining the network as of Monday:

The Nova M Radio Network is thrilled to announce the addition of "The Randi Rhodes Show" to its nationally syndicated talent offerings beginning this Monday, April 14, 2008.

Randi Rhodes is the #1 rated progressive talk radio host in the nation.

Nova M CEO John Manzo says, "I just can't stop smiling - Randi is simply the biggest and the best. Randi Rhodes and Mike Malloy under one roof - talk about TALENT!"

Randi Rhodes adds, "With Manzo at helm of Nova M, I am truly going to work for the best of the best. He is radio elite...and I am too . I'm home, I'm home, I'm home!"

"The Randi Rhodes Show" will air live Mon-Fri from 3-6pm Eastern on The Nova M Radio Network.

Comments

[lalalolo]

I don't think our founfing fathers had this type of foul mouthed ranting and hatefull, childish name calling in mind when they added freedom of speach to the constitution. This sort of thing is really a moral issue and obviousely Randi Rhodes doesn't have any.

[754]

You must be joking. You obviously never read any of the pamphlets that were published before and during the American Revolution. The stuff that was put out then was far worse than the rhetoric that's thrown around these days. Randi was making a joke- get over yourself.

And just in case you haven't noticed, all politicians are whores- both men and women. They don't sell their bodies for money, but they certainly sell their souls for votes and money.

For whatever reason, Randi's employer took exception to some of what Randi said at an event and they suspended her. She quit and moved on. And you conclude that she has no morals because she made an off color joke about a politcal figure? Seems to me that it is more likely that you are taking a shot at her because she espouses a political opinion that doesn't agree with yours. Hmmm, morals.... From what I've read and heard about her, Randi is a stand up girl; she is a tax paying law abiding citizen, she goes to church, she served our country honorably in the Air Force, she raised her niece as her own when her sister died and she looks after her mother. Randi is too self-effacing about her personal life to say this, but I think she's more moral than most of us. Just a little potty-mouthed sometimes, which I kind of like in a woman.

[litebug]

I certainly take exception to the idea that foul language is a moral issue! A person can cuss like a dockworker and still be a fine person. Foul language has been around as long as there have been humans capable of speaking, I would suppose. It has nothing whatsoever to do with morality.

There are people who get more upset over foul language than they do over the needless suffering of their fellow human beings. I don't have much use for these people. These are the same superficial prigs who value "civil discourse" above all else, even when people are being victimized or killed, our Constitution is under total attack, and war crimes are being committed on an international scale. It isn't time for a nice, polite, little tea party. Nancy Pelosi is one of the leading proponents of this, "let's just all play nice together" approach and, as a result, has been very ineffective in doing what needs to be done in dealing with a ruthless, criminal administration. This is an excellent way to always end up playing victim to the bullies and criminals. It's also called "having no balls"!

[DesertLight]

Not defending Imus's statements, but I knew once he got canned it would just be the tip of the iceberg. Randi was an alternative point of view to me and I mostly didn't agree with her, but those points of view are nevertheless part of free speech. Now it seems we have gone done the road to defining censorship.

[Swift2]

All she had to do was apologize. Chris Matthews apologized, and the "pimped out" Chelsea comment drew an apology, and both of them were right, too.

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

Good luck to Randi and congrats on working with Manzo again! I guess it's time to junk the sattelite radio and sign up for Nova M, Randi Rhodes & Mike Malloy are the most entertaining truth-tellers on the air.

Air America might as well change it's name to DLC Radio.

[flyguy14222]

Don't go away mad Trash Mouth Randi, just go away!

[FrankBlackFrancis]

You haven't been paying attention. She's back on the air everywhere.

[NABNYC]

You don't have to like Randi Rhodes to recognize that what is happening to her goes on around this country to thousands of working people every day, because working people have no rights, and the "owners" of the business act only to enrich themselves and to cut the wages, benefits, pension, holidays and vacation times of their employees. Or fire the employee that stands up for themselves, or force them to resign (constructive discharge) which is what happened here.

Then to make things worse, most businesses today fire an employee, then have their attorneys fight against any claim for unemployment compensation. For example, I know a working person who was fired by Hillary's favorite slave-labor company. The company said he was discharged for "theft," so unemployment compensation should be denied. But when the employee fought back and demanded a hearing, it turned out that the company claimed the employee had taken a 20-minute break, instead of a 15-minute break, and that constituted "theft" of company time. Don't ever take the side of the business owners, because they usually lie, cheat, and steal. That's why they're rich and everyone else has to work for them.

And by the way, Nova M has a "Founders" support system, so people who will be happy to hear Randi back on the radio should go to the Nova M website and become a subscriber.

[templestark]

Nova M has business owners, correct? Just taking your point to its logical conclusion. I largely agree that businesses have too much of an upper hand but everyone hates unions now so you see the overall result. (not that unions are always the answer either).

Still, if i'd done what Randi had done on company time on the company dime, I'd expect to be suspended. That they parted ways was more a function of things not working out than anything else. Randi, seeing she had so much support for calling women bitches and whores, bowed out and life goes on. Except for the country's daughters who might wonder why Randi had such support.

Too simplistic? Perhaps. I wouldn't want to explain any of this to any daughters - or sons for that matter.

[360Sound]

Umm.. your point is moot since she wasn't on the company's time or it's dime.

[BarryChamplain]

The whole idea of her committing an infraction on "company time" is erroneous to the core.

If you've been keeping up, you should know by now that Air America only yanked out a 2-week old video, and publicized it themselves, as an excuse to suspend Randi, until she agreed to void the non-termination clause of her contract. Much ado was made about a video they didn't give a shit about, until they needed public support for breaking her kneecaps (e.g., from all the "decent" people here, commenting on their shock, SHOCK! Understand: to these people, you guys are nothing, if not reliable, trained monkeys).

Unbelievably (unless you're familiar with the slime that runs the media industry), as soon as they suspended her, according to Randi, they immediately did MARKET RESEARCH..­. to see if anyone CARED! That's correct... they wanted to see how much clout she had with their audience, when under fire for being "controversial".

The irony there is, the research came back and she was the most valuable element of the whole damned company.

All the more reason, if you're forcing a power play, to keep her off the air UNTIL SHE'D AGREE TO VOID HER NON-TERMINATION CLAUSE. Worked out very well, didn't it?

[PlantGod72]

I just emailed my local Progressive radio station with the following message, and would recommend you let your local stations hear from you as well....I KNOW the Randi-haters will be out in full force!

"To whom it may concern:
As an avid, daily listener of KTalk radio, I've been a fan of Randi Rhodes since I discovered this station. The recent events concerning Randi's remarks in SF and her subsequent decision to leave AirAmerica (or her being forced out) has left me wondering about the commitment of 'progressive' radio to stand behind their on-air talent.

Now I understand that Randi has moved to NovaM radio, and will be broadcast in her same time slot of 12-3 pm (Pacific time). It is my fervent hope that KTLK will be broadcasting the Randi Rhodes show again immediately when it becomes available on Monday, April 14.

Randi has given me hope over the years that the truth can prevail over propaganda. No one.... NO ONE has spoken truth to power, NO ONE has countered the despicable lies and maneuvers of the Bush/Cheney administration, NO ONE has revealed the NeoCon agenda for what it is and NO ONE has truly listened to and supported the troops as Randi has!

I truly hope you plan on continuing to provide a forum for the bold, informed and courageous programming that IS Randi Rhodes.

Respectfully,"

[DesertLight]

What qualifies a radio station as "progressive?"

[FrankBlackFrancis]

At this point, any station that isn't exclusively conservative.

[Swift2]

Apparently, who they insult.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Well said!

[KINGS]

KTLK is my local station. I will e-mail them now in the meantime I will listen to Randi Monday at http://www.green960.com/main.html

[KINGS]

PlantGod72 well said and I just e-mailed KTLK at progressivetalk1150.comk1150.com I hope I have you permission to copy and send the same letter you sent to them.

Why don't you publicly give others permission to use your letter if they prefer to do that rather than write their own.

[Benmyoho]

So much ink is being wasted on a pro-Obama has-been. Let Randi Rhodes enjoy her porn collection in her Florida digs.

[peskyliberal]

What's your beef with women that like porn?

[editorjuno]

They probably frighten him.

[hollyo]

you can hear Randi n/w at:
http://www.green960.com/main.html

[tbone57]

f this site. gone forever.

[tristan90us]

why?

[curmudgeon3]

Obviously for those posting here who are ultrasensitive and easily offended by any expression of emotion (i.e., justifiable outrage), the hope must be for a replacement who conveys all of the excitement of a municipal sewer board meeting (e.g., Amy Goodman).

Yes, the book of Matthew includes the verse, "The meek shall inherit the earth." The Repukes are hoping that most Dems will continue to adopt this as their mantra, as they trample over their prostrate bodies, picking their pockets and laughing merrily on their way to the bank.

It is precisely this kind of mentality that contributes to the Repukes (and their disciples) laser-sharp focus, intense passion and success and, by sharp contrast, the Dems' pathetic inability to accomplish anything meaningful, even with purported majorities in the House and Senate. The Dems' lemming-like habit of attacking each other for the most miniscule real and/or imagined slight clearly exemplifies the latter portion of the over-used slogan following 9/11 -- "United we stand, divided we fall."

The approach of avoiding anything that might result in harsh word from Faux Noose is nothing less slow suicide.

[tbone57]

Scrubs are working overtime. So much for free speach.

[tbone57]

Seems I missed that last time Mann Coulter or Pss Limbaugh apoligized for anything.

They prattle on with their lies.

Randy expressed her opinion. You get evicerated for that in amerika today.

One more example of "free speach". She has the right to speak her mind. We have the right to disagree.

Well we used to. Now MSM makes up our minds for us.

She was great. A real liberal. Shot down by MArk Green a HRC die-hard establishment Dem.

[A Meat Beetle]

tbone:

"Randy expressed her opinion. You get evicerated for that in amerika today."

You got that right. Just question the holiness and god-like powers of Barack Obama and see what happens to you.

[protagonia]

They're coming after the comics now.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Good one!

[A Meat Beetle]

protagonia:

I saw an article here yesterday about Jon Stewart and some comments he made about Barack Obama. The article referred to a "comedy conspiracy" against Obama. I'm still trying to figure out if it was a joke or paranoia run amuck.

[AdultFilmLegend]

I'm worried about those bangs. Something needs to be done.

[eugenegerard]

novamradio.com....... What Air America should have been.